On the morning of April 22nd, 52 Indonesian students, members of the student association of Indonesian students in China, assembled in the Three Gorges Square in Shapingba district and made voluntary blood donations in the blood donation bus of Southwest Hospital affiliated to PLA Chongqing blood bank. There are about 130 Indonesian students studying in universities in Chongqing, including Chongqing University, Chongqing Medical University, Southwest University, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Sichuan International Studies University, and Chongqing Technology and Business University.

“The engagement in voluntary blood donation is to express gratitude to those who have helped me,” said Nikko Akbar, the representative of Indonesian students. Having received enormous help from her Chinese teachers and classmates ever since her arrival in China, she felt it a repayment to those helping hands to throw herself into the public welfare services.

They even offered other voluntary blood donators Indonesian folk-related shows and publicly promoted voluntary blood donation on streets with Chinese army-surgeons before the collective blood donation. Subsequently, 138 citizens came to donate their blood without payment, with the blood amount of 40,000 milliliters.

The expert in this field explained that a healthy person was allowed to donate blood twice a year, with time interval of no less than 6 months. Each time the amount of blood donation ranges from 200 to 400 milliliters. Under such circumstances, the blood donation can do no harm to the donator’s health. The rationale under this mechanism is that while a person of 50kg, with 4,000 milliliters of blood, can be allowed to 400 milliliters of blood once at its peak, the proportion of donated blood to total blood is just 10%. The total blood amount merely accounts for 8% of a healthy person’s weight.

In light of the shortage in blood bank, PLA Chongqing blood bank seeks the engagement of citizens: healthy citizens in the age group between 18 to 55 (those with blood donation experience can be allowed to donate blood under 60) can take part in blood donation with their personal ID Cards.

What are the caveats for blood donators before donation? According to expert, overeating is forbidden in last day’s dinner; meat, fish, egg, milk, bean products and other oily foodstuffs are forbidden during the two meals before blood donation; light diet and sound sleep are advisable. Above-mentioned measures can make sure that the donator’s blood quality is in good condition and prevent donators from negative reactions during donation.

People with sicknesses such as cold, fever, and coughing should donate blood later after they totally recover.

Volunteers can donate blood in either the blood donation bus in the Three Gorges Square or the blood donation hall of the surgery building affiliated with Southwest University. (Translated by Zeng Lijin, Fathom Language Limited)